A Change of Fate
by Kkthekoolone
Summary: Grover never comes back to school, and Percy tries to live a normal life. An AU where... Stuff happens differently


**Hello! This is kind of a random story that I thought of. I don't really know where it's going, but I hope you like it. I dont own anything, otherwise I'd probably be typing this on a computer, not an old iPad.**

Percy came home from school that day, slightly worried.

His best friend Grover hadn't been at school all week, and neither had Percy's favorite teacher, Mr. Brunner.

Grover was almost never sick, especially not for a week. And Mr. Brunner? Sickness was never going to stop him.

Sally noticed that Percy wasn't himself, and asked, "What's wrong, Percy?"

He replied worriedly, "Grover and Mr. Brunner haven't been at school all week. I know, people get sick, but I never would have thought they would."

His mom frowned. She knew that both Grover and Mr. Brunner were involved in the Greek world, and their sudden disappearance did not make her want to get her son involved in that crazy world.

"Gabe's rather grumpy today sweety, but maybe the holiday will cheer him up." Sally replied.

Of course, eating chocolate and getting drunk because it was Easter was definitely something Gabe would do, so Percy wasn't really looking forward to coming home.

They sat in silence for the rest of the drive, and when they got home Percy got a sense of something… Bad.

But, he got out of the car car and grabbed his stuff, walking up to the front door fearlessly. He heard raucous laughter, and knew that Gabe hadn't even waited 'til dark to get drunk.

Percy cracked the door open as quietly as he could, and slid in through the smallest opening possible.

Percy's luck had it that Gabe was sitting in the living room, which happened to be the room the door opened into.

"Whatcha doin' back here, kid? I tha' we shipped ya off to boardin' school a while ago." Gabe slurred.

Gabe's buddies laughed, but Percy knew it was best not to reply. After a few more 'jokes' at Percy's expense, Gabe got bored of him and went back to whatever they had been playing.

Percy ran to his room, ignoring the Gabe smell and flopping down on the bed.

He sat there thinking for a while, about all the weird stuff that had happened to him, and about Grover and Mr. Brunner.

Percy had a bad feeling about their disappearance, and he felt like the goodbye he gave to Grover two weeks ago had been final.

With all the thoughts whirling in his head, Percy soon fell asleep, even though it wasn't dark yet.

His mom came in to see him sleeping, and decided against telling him to come to dinner. Sometimes, his slightly abnormal life made him seem older, and he looked so peaceful in his sleep…

In the morning, Percy woke up around six, ready to face the day after a great sleep.

No one else was up yet, so Percy had the house to himself on the quiet Saturday morning. He made himself a small breakfast of cereal and orange juice, being as quiet as possible.

He didn't want to sit at the table by himself, or go anywhere near the couch Gabe frequented, so he just went back to his room.

About halfway through the meal, Sally poked her head in. "You're still going to the pool today, right?" She asked him.

He nodded his head in confirmation, and she pulled her head out.

His mom's mention of the pool got Percy excited, but also made him a little nervous. He had decided to try out for the swim team next year, and his mom had saved up some money for a membership at a nearby pool.

With renewed purpose, Percy finished his cereal and returned his bowl and glass to the kitchen.

"Bye mom," he said, seeing her on his way out.

"Goodbye sweetheart. You have a towel, right?" She asked in a motherly way.

Percy grinned at her and held up a duffel bag, with all his swimming gear in it.

"Have fun!" She called before he walked out the door.

He replied with a backwards wave, and then was on his way to the pool.

Everyone thought their destination was the most important, so Percy had a hard time maneuvering through the crowded streets. When he finally got there, after being ran over twice, he was pleased by what he saw.

Sure, it wasn't the nicest pool in Manhattan, but it was definitely not the worst. The water at least resembled water, and it wasn't even that crowded, with only a few people paddling lazily through the water.

Percy held up his ID card at the desk, and the bored teen let him in. Percy headed for the bathrooms, changing quickly.

He reached the pool soon, and was about to jump in when a lifeguard stopped him. "You can swim, right?" He asked.

Percy nodded in reply and the slightly overweight man replied, "Good. Some kids these days…"

Percy couldn't help but smile at the adults predictability, and he did a simple jump into the pool.

The water felt refreshing, like coffee after a long night. Percy had always loved water, from that in his sippy cup, to the mighty ocean. His mom took him on lots of trips to the beach, and he loved every moment of them.

He stretched in the water, getting used to the cold feel. A woman swam over, and Percy noticed that she was missing a pinky finger.

She said, "How ya doin'? I'm Paula, a regular here." And extended her hand above the water, and Percy gladly took it.

"Hi, I'm Percy. This is my first time her. I'm practicing for the swim team."

"Nice to meet ya, Percy. You'll find that there are plenty here who will help you practice, lots of old codgers who would love to show off to a young'n like yourself." She replied calmly.

Percy liked the way she spoke, it had a nice, welcoming feel to it, and he trusted her. "Thank you. Although, I've never really tried racing before."

She grinned. "Well, that won't be a problem. Hey, Pete, get over here, wouldja. We got a young'n that needs some lessons.

A man swam over from not to far away, and smiled in greeting. "Don't mind Paula. She likes to think of herself as the welcoming committee, usually scares a good few off,"

Paula frowned at him, and said, "Well, I didn't see you coming over here, so someone had to do it."

"Point taken. Score one for Paula. Anyways, what's your name, kid?"

Percy replied, "I'm Percy. Nice to meet you."

"Well, this talking is getting boring, so why don't we do some actual swimming?" Pete groaned.

Paula nodded, and Pete and Paula swam off, racing for the far wall. Percy grinned. Their names really put the 'P' in pool. Seriously, what were the chances?

Percy stayed put for a moment, then ducked his head underwater. He opened his eyes, something that had never bothered him, even in salt water.

After doing a few flips, Percy swam for the far wall, unknowingly seeing better than the average human. He could actually see the wall, even though it was a good thirty feet away.

Halfway there, Percy realized he should probably breath, and poked his head out long enough to take a breath. Then he went back to his swimming.

Paula and Pete had paused, watching Percy as he swam. He seemed so sure of himself, something that most kids would lack when talking to total strangers in New York.

They both noticed that Percy went a while before taking a breath, and Paula thought he might finally beat old Brian's record.

She swam for where she thought Percy would be, and was surprised when he popped up about ten feet away. Dang. Either she hadn't guessed right, or he might give her speed record a run for its money.

She rolled her eyes mentally. Of course he would beat their records. He was a young boy, with plenty of strength, while they were old, with more experience but less muscle.

Percy waved, and Bill came over to investigate. He always wanted to know what was going on, even if he didn't want to participate.

Bills attention got Brian's attention, so now Percy had to deal with all the inhabitants of the pool. He stopped swimming, and waited for them to get closer.

Two men he hadn't met yet joined Paula and Pete, and Percy figured they were also regulars.

"Hello," Percy said once they were within earshot, and they replied with nods of their heads.

When they got closer, they all stopped paddling, and stood easily. Percy was having some difficulty reaching the ground, and had to flounder a bit to stay afloat.

The two new men looked normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Paula nodded at them and said, "That's Brian and Bill, two regulars here. Brian can hold his breath for three minutes, and Bill keeps track of everything."

Percy nodded at this information. He had always thought it was cool how little communities formed over shared pieces of people's lives, and here was no exception.

"I'm trying out for my school's swim team next year, so I need some practice. A lot of practice." Percy added ruthfully.

The foursome understood wanting something and working to get it. "Well, if you need anything, just tell us. For now, we'll let you practice." Brian said. The others nodded in confirmation, and swam another direction.

Percy looked at the far wall again, and braced himself against the wall he was next to. He pushed off suddenly, taking off like a rocket. He used the speed boost to easily get to the other side, with a little waving of his arms.

Percy stayed at the pool all day, with other people coming and going, but none paying him any interest.

When he was done, he pulled himself,out of the pool. Once he was out of the water, he suddenly felt tired, and hurried to the locker he had stashed his stuff in.

After drying off and changing, Percy checked his watch and saw that it was almost six. He had been here for a long time.

Percy went home, with the same traffic as earlier around him.

When he got home, he ate a mostly silent dinner with his mom, talking a little about the pool. His mom and he were both tired, and Gabe still wasn't home.

Percy decided to call another early night, and went to his bedroom to sleep.

 **There it is. I will add to this story, maybe not a lot , but hopefully some. Have a great day and some blue cookies!**


End file.
